"Derided and disregarded by many of his contemporaries, Michel Foucault is now regarded as probably the most influential thinker of the twentieth century - his work is studied across the humanities and social sciences, among other disciplines." "Reading Foucault can be challenging, however, as can writing about him but, in Understanding Foucault, the authors offer an entertaining and informative introduction to his thinking. They cover all the issues Foucault dealt with, including power, knowledge, subjectivity and sexuality and discuss the development of his analysis throughout his work. Each concept is illustrated with topical examples from popular culture so that students can see how to use Foucault's theories in their own writing." "Understanding Foucault is a 'must read' for anyone tackling him for the first time."--BOOK JACKET.